What is a Conifer?

 Fir trees are one of the most common types of trees worldwide. They are known primarily for making spectacular Christmas trees, but they can be so much more varied than that. Fir trees make great trees because they are relatively easy to care for and can grow almost anywhere.

If you like the look of classic Christmas trees or think that your landscaping could use a boost from the addition of easy-to-manage evergreen trees, firs can make a great addition to any yard or property. 

 Arborvitae are trees or shrubs, usually pyramidal in habit, with thin, scaling outer bark and fibrous inner bark, horizontal or ascending branches, and characteristically flattened, spray like branchlet systems.  

 Yellowish or reddish-brown arborvitae wood is soft, light in weight but very durable, fragrant, and easily worked. The giant arborvitae (T. plicata) is the most important timber-producing species.

  Cedars are adapted to mountainous climates; in the Mediterranean, they  receive winter precipitation, mainly as snow, and summer drought, while  in the western Himalaya, they receive primarily summer monsoon rainfall  and occasional winter snowfall.   Cedar wood and cedarwood oil are natural repellents to moths,[19] hence cedar is a popular lining for cedar chests and closets.   

 Cedrus trees can grow up to 90 - 120 ft tall with spicy-resinous scented wood, thick ridged or square-cracked bark, and broad, level branches.  

  Cypress is one of the several species of conifers that mainly constitute the genus Cupressus,  as well as some of the other genera belonging to the family Cupressaceae. As with most conifers, the extensive cultivation of  cypress trees has produced a variety of forms, with different sizes and  colors. Most cypress species are used as ornamental trees and plants in  parks, gardens, and around temples, while others are developed for their  durable timber. 

 Pine trees are evergreen, coniferous resinous trees (or, rarely, shrubs) growing 10–260 feet tall, with the majority of species reaching 50–150 ft tall. 

 The smallest are Siberian dwarf pine and Potosi pinyon, and the tallest is 268 ft tall ponderosa pine located in southern Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.

 The spiral growth of branches, needles, and cones scales may be arranged in Fibonacci number ratios.  The new spring shoots are sometimes called "candles"; they are covered  in brown or whitish bud scales and point upward at first, then later turn green and spread outward.  Place the pine outside in full sun.  This supports healthy growth and helps decrease the needle size  (needles grow longer if the tree doesn't get enough sunlight). Pine  trees are very hardy.

 There are only a few species in the Spruce family – 35 to be in fact. They are found in northern regions, particularly in temperate and boreal areas.  

 Spruces are large trees, from about 60–200 ft tall when mature, and have whorled branches and conical form.   

Most spruces can easily be identified by their compact, narrow crown and drooping branchlets. These species grow in a variety of climates including coastal areas, high altitudes, and boreal forests.  Many types of spruce trees serve as ornamental plantings in urban parks and gardens, while others provide wood for construction beams, fences, or furniture making.

  Douglas-fir is a large conifer, evergreen tree that grows 40 to 80 feet tall when cultivated but as tall as 300 feet in the wild. It is one of the largest trees in the world, and one of the most important timber species in the United States. 

   It is native to Southwestern British Columbia to West Central California. The Douglas-fir is the State tree of Oregon. It grows best in northern or northwestern climates of the United States.  

  These trees can live for thousands of years. However, there are quite a few threats to this species, such as logging, fires, and climate change. 

Larch trees are one of the few deciduous conifers, which means that they shed their needles regularly. Just like broad-leaf trees, these conifers will lose their needles every autumn. 

These trees can reach 65 to 120 feet tall. 

 The most widely distributed North American larch is called tamarack, hackmatack, or eastern larch (L. laricina). The bracts on its small cones are hidden by the scales. Eastern larch trees mature in 100 to 200 years. This species may grow about 40 to 65 feet tall and have gray to reddish brown bark. A taller species, the western larch (L. occidentalis) of the Pacific Northwest, has bracts that protrude beyond the cone scales. 

 The junipers include roughly 60 different species of trees and shrubs in the Juniperus genus, within the cypress family of plants. Although some junipers use the word "cedar" in their common names, juniper and cedar are not the same.  The leaves of these evergreen conifers usually take the form of flattened scales in the mature plants, though they may be needle-like in juvenile plants.

  Most junipers offer at least some level of drought resistance, making them a good choice in more arid climates. But precautions should be taken in areas prone to wildfires. Junipers grow best in sunny spots with good soil drainage. Many people pick common juniper (Juniperus communis) as one of the best junipers for landscaping, but other varieties can be just as beautiful.

  The berry/cones of common juniper are used to flavor gin. Juniper fruits can also be used as a spice in cooking, and they are very attractive to many birds and other wildlife.

  These trees are relatively long-lived and relatively slow-growing. They can reach up to 65 feet, though this is quite short compared to other trees on this list. This species is also very old, with fossils found from the Early Cretaceous.

  It can withstand heavy pruning and utilized as a foundation plant, hedges, topiaries, screens, and undergrowth shrubs.  

 Regular annual pruning will help keep the desired shape as well as allow the plant to achieve a dense carpet of needles.  The optimum planting location includes part sun and part shade.  Too much shade will decrease the growth rate, while too much sun can result in the plant drying out.  This is especially crucial with young plants. 

   Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living species of the genus Sequoia.  Common names include coast redwood, coastal redwood and California redwood. It is an evergreen, long-lived, monoecious tree living 1,200–2,200 years or more. This species includes the tallest living trees on Earth, reaching up to 380.1 ft. in height and up to 29 ft. in diameter at breast height. These trees are also among the longest-living organisms on Earth.  

 The big tree, or giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum).  The redwood is native in the fog belt of the Coast Ranges from southern Monterey county, Calif., to southern Oregon.   Giant sequoia specimens are the most massive trees on Earth.  They occur naturally only in groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. 

They are best located in cool, moist climates with consistent moisture.  They will grow in sandy loam-type soil with a consistent temperature range.  It will not tolerate drastic climate changes or clay soil.